Anton Yelchin's parents aim wrongful death lawsuit at Fiat Chrysler

Recalled Jeep shifter suspected in 'Star Trek' actor's death

Yelchin died in June 2016; the subsequent investigation into the accident has focused on his Jeep Grand Cherokee shifter mechanism.

The parents of actor Anton Yelchin plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Jeep parent company FiatChrysler Automobiles, TMZ reports. The suit is expected to allege "significant defects" in the Jeep Grand Cherokee that led to Yelchin's death.

The 27-year-old actor died on June 19, crushed by a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee as it rolled backwards in his driveway, pinning him against a brick post and fence of his house. Yelchin's body was discovered by his friends after he did not show up for a scheduled rehearsal that evening. The Los Angeles County coroner's office ruled the death an accident, stating that death occured as a result of "blunt trauma asphyxia."

The automaker launched an investigation into the accident in the days following Yelchin's death, as a recall had been issued for this Jeep model due to a rollaway risk. Yelchin's Grand Cherokee was equipped with a Monostable automatic shifter, which had been the subject of a months-long NHTSA investigation due to its unintuitive design, with the agency accumulating reports of dozens of minor crashes before issuing a recall.

Specifically, the shifter has been faulted for not providing tactile feedback after each shift, requiring drivers to always look at the shifter's display to verify the vehicle is in Park. The shifter design fell under suspicion very quickly in the Yelchin investigation (you can see our video demonstrating the shifter here).

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"FCA US extends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Yelchin," FCA said in statement a day after the actor's death. "The company is in contact with the authorities and is conducting a thorough investigation. It is premature to speculate on the cause of this tragedy."

Yelchin's parents, Viktor and Irina Yelchin, also plan to sue ZF North America, the manufacturer of the shifter, and the AutoNation dealership chain where the actor presumably purchased the Jeep.

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Yelchin's death is suspected to be the first known fatality linked to a Fiat Chrysler vehicle recalled for the Monostable shifter, and the actor's death has reignited calls for recall reform. Auto safety advocates have called for faster, mandatory recall processes as well as a better notification system for outstanding recalls where a risk of injury is high.

The NHTSA's investigation into the Monostable shifter came under fire even before Yelchin's death, as the agency had collected dozens of crash reports prior to issuing a recall for the affected models in April of 2016. The recall itself is rare in that it concerns an unintuitive design rather than a manufacturing defect.